The Witness Service at Winchester Crown Court celebrated its 10th birthday on Thursday.

The organisation is an off-shoot of the charity Victim Support. Volunteers help witnesses and their families by explaining court protocol and procedure and offer emotional support through the ordeal of giving evidence.

The service at Winchester was one of the first to be set up following successful pilot schemes in the north of England.

Winchester's 28 volunteers, like all other Witness Service volunteers, had to go through six days of training before they came into contact with witnesses.

Carolyn Martin, the co-ordinator who was responsible for setting up the service a decade ago said: "When we first started there were quite a few people in the court system that did not want us here and it has taken many years to get appreciated. Now the police and the Crown Prosecution Service say they don't know how they managed without us."

The service extends to defence witnesses and the families of murder victims who come to court to follow their case.

Jill Bellamy decided to become a volunteer after she saw the effect giving evidence had on someone she knew who was a witness at a trial.

Commenting on her role as a volunteer with the service she said: "I was surprised at how much official procedure you had to learn. But it is very rewarding when people say thank-you because you know they really mean it and you know you have done something meaningful."